One's Good Name
by Janika
Summary: Marille does her best to be a good daughter, but what can she possibly do when her mother is attacked in a cowardly way and she can't find her father? Who is this enemy and why do they want to hurt her family? Post ToS2
1. Dawn

**Chapter 1: Dawn**

The altar in the Temple of Darkness pulsed as the one it enshrined appeared. The young blonde man standing before it warmly greeted his old friend and the Centurion nodded cordially.

"Lord Emil, I am grateful you answered my call. Even in worldly time it has not been long since we last saw one another."

"It's been just one month, and Marta and I are getting married next week. I know I told you and the others, but there was no reply and I didn't want to summon you anywhere but in your temples while things are still hectic."

"Rest assured, we will observe the ceremony. We can only spare Solum at this time since the Gate is still in flux, but he will cast illusions of your Centurions so that all may see that we are allied with you." The black creature's eyes closed for a moment as he searched for a way to come to the point. "I am also aware that one of the purposes of marriage among mortals is the bearing of children."

Emil nearly choked. He managed to collect himself but was still confused. "Well… yeah, but it's not like I've really thought that far ahead."

"In this form, my Lord, you seldom do. It is a possibility for the future, however. And I must warn against it."

"Huh?"

"A year ago you began to rewrite the order of the world. Soon mana will be impossible for anyone to use, correct?"

"Of course I know that. I _did_ that. Where are you going with this?"

"If the former Summon Spirit of the Giant Kharlan Tree has a child—even in human form—that child could inherit its father's powers."

"Is that a problem?"

"Only if you intend your original plan to proceed uninterrupted. A child who has any control over the flow of mana could disrupt everything you have set into motion. It's possible it might even draw power from you. And if that child has children and those children have children—and so on—there will soon be an entire clan of mana-wielding humans the Centurions cannot restrain."

"And that might cause the seal in the Ginnungagap to come open, only held in check by Richter and the Centurions…" Emil folded his arms and thought quietly about this warning for some minutes. At last he said, "Are you positive this will happen?"

"…Not entirely. There is always the possibility that a successor will have no powers whatever, or that true mana-control is beyond its grasp."

"Listen, Tenebrae. I'm not ignoring or belittling you at all. I'm just thinking about Marta and what she'd want. We won't be having children for years yet, so there's no need to get worried right now."

"Understood. But be assured that when the time comes we will be on your side. No matter the consequences, you are still our master and we will obey your command."

~Sixteen years later~

Fifteen-year-old Marille Castagnier woke up slowly, the dregs of dream-images floating away as she became more and more aware of morning. Birdsong scattered everything but a piece of her dream, and that piece she would have gladly gone without. That dark night, the sword glinting in the firelight, and that malicious gleam in his eyes...

She shook off the last fetters of sleep and rose to wash her face. The clinic would open soon and she needed to help while her father was away. The time he spent with them had become less in the past couple years, but he was still a constant presence in their home. The girl gave a discontented sigh and hurried to get dressed for the day.

Slipping on a red knee-length skirt over her black leggings, Marille thought about all the chores she had to do. She laced up a black blouse and brushed out her hip-length hair that was a perfect sandy-blond color inherited from both her parents.

Breakfast was waiting in the small dining room, which meant her mother must already be preparing supplies for the day. Marille started cramming two slices of toast in her mouth as she poured fresh milk into a cup and opened the side door with her foot all at the same time. She picked up the cup and the remainder of the toast, backing out the doorway and into the shop attached to the house. Sounds of sorting could be heard at the far end.

"What is it?" she asked around the food. She had to repeat herself after taking a drink in order to be understood.

Her mother looked at her with a smile. "A few nice things: fresh linens, candles, rubbing oil, a bottle of perfume, and a painted rock." The woman with sandy-colored hair returned to the box, placing the cloths and oil in one pile and everything else in another. "Would you please put this in the case?" she offered the rock to her daughter.

"Who gave it to us?" Marille wondered as she carried it (decorated with a clumsy painting of a snow-capped mountain) over to a display case that held the knick-knacks usually donated by children. It found its place between a donkey made of ribbon-wound sticks and a badly-carved hen.

"Last week Syttie's foot healed except for a scar, so I assume she made it."

"The candles are from her mother, I suppose?"

"Most likely…but the perfume I can't quite guess. We haven't helped anyone that wealthy, and I can't imagine someone from Luin giving up a bottle this expensive."

"Maybe someone we helped last year finally earned enough money to buy it. We'll never find out who if that's the case, though."

It was a game they played in the mornings, trying to guess who donated what. Many people in the country who came to the clinic couldn't spare any money since life was hard, but they occasionally left things in the box beside the front door.

When the clinic had first started, the Castagniers gave treatment free of charge, any offers of payment met with polite refusal. However, country folk tend to be stubborn as old oak roots, and since there was no way to tell who gave which of the mysterious gifts so that they could be returned, Emil and Marta were fairly forced into setting up the 'donation box'. It kept people from leaving their contributions in odd places that tended to be overlooked, hence avoiding ruin.

Marille smiled at a memory of herself at age four thinking she had to add to the box or else be kicked out of the house. For nearly two weeks the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of small items from the household was overlooked. It wasn't until her father pulled a picture pilfered from his own room out of the box that he realized what was going on and who was doing it.

Marta Castagnier tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, it seems like a very fancy bottle. I'll save it for now."

They finished arranging things and then her mother told Marille to go find some candlesticks in the attic.

"It's been a long time since we used them instead of lamps. Since your father's coming back tonight I think it might be nice to have a candle-light dinner."

Her daughter shrugged and went back into the main house, up the stairs, past her room, and to the door at the end of the hallway. They almost never went up there, so the sharp squeak of the hinges came as no great shock but still made her wince painfully at the noise.

Dust coated every surface, whether it was wood, cloth or metal. One good sneeze cleared her sinuses and after that Marille had no trouble coping, then she used the dim light from downstairs to navigate to the three windows along the wall. She pulled back the shades and unlatched them, pushing them outward to let in fresh air.

The moment light entered the cramped, cluttered room with its low ceiling, Marille suddenly realized she had forgotten what a gold mine lay hidden above her head. Biting her lip to keep a curious smile in check, she opened the nearest chest and slowly pulled aside the protective coverlet to see a bronze weapon polished to perfection waiting patiently in its scabbard.

Not able to restrain herself, the girl touched its cool metal and tried to imagine her father gripping it the same way. As her fingers slid around the hilt, they brushed something underneath—

"_Yaiee!_" she yelped, yanking her hand back.

For a moment she peered at the chest as though expecting a monster to jump out at her, but when nothing happened, she slid closer and used the coverlet like an oven mitt to move her father's sword aside. Nestled under the blade was a plain golden ring.

She carefully brushed a finger against it and this time wasn't surprised by the slight wave of energy. What was it? Maybe she'd ask her mother later.

The candlesticks were sitting on a shelf near the window and she picked them up, but as she started back to the exit, her eyes returned to the open chest. There were other things underneath the sword. It wouldn't hurt to _peek_ at them.

The other items inside were weapons too. There were three other swords and five pairs of spinners, each one unique. Marille knew her parents had bought many weapons in the past, but these were all there were in the attic. Did that mean each one here held a story, a special part of the journey they traveled together before their marriage?

As she stood to leave, another box caught her eye. Once she had finished with it, the one next to it seemed too intriguing to pass by. Her fingers itched with curiosity.

An hour later, Marta poked her head into the upper room and saw her daughter surrounded by relics from the woman's childhood. Hiding a helpless smile by pretending to be cross, she said,

"You'd better clean it all up."

Marille flew up, scattering clothes, maps, and books. "Mom, you scared me! I…just found some of your old things and thought I'd look at them."

"Hmm…" She joined the girl on the floor and picked up an unrolled cloth that Marille hadn't been able to figure out. "This is the flag of the Vanguard. That over there is your father's first weapon: the Bronze Sword. He didn't use it very long since it's not much of a strong weapon, but it was the first thing he defended me with. Truly defended, I mean," she said with a far-off smile. "Our first battle together was more _me_ defending _him_."

"He doesn't seem like the kind of person who needs defending, Mom."

The woman laughed outright. "Before we met he was a little like a puppy that got beat up all the time. It took a while, but he started standing on his own without any help on the journey."

Marille barely remembered her father telling her he started off on his adventure whimpering and whining. She'd giggled at his impression at the time, but even now when her mother said it…she just couldn't see him acting that way. Everything about him was confident and self-assured, and even good-humored at times when they were all together.

"I guess I just don't have a vivid imagination," she shrugged, picking up a folded set of clothes.

They turned out to be a pair of dark tights, a matching spaghetti-strap shirt feathered at the bottom and top, and a white sleeveless jacket. Wait…no, there were sleeves, but they attached directly to the arm as if to hide elbow-high gauntlets.

"Wow! Who would have worn something this odd?"

Marta hid a grin, instead going to a set of shelves to sort through stacks of books. She finally picked one and brought it over, opening to a page full of pictures. The girl was surprised to see her parents' youthful faces from seventeen years ago…and the crazy outfit was apparently her _mother's_.

"Oh! Sorry, Mom…" she winced. Marille looked at the other faces in the photos and recognized some right away. "Aren't those two Lloyd and Sheena?"

"Before they married, of course. This photo was taken right after our adventure."

"What about Zelos? I see him but not his wife."

"He didn't know Karyn back then. You attended their wedding when you were little, don't you remember?"

"Not really. Hm. It looks like everyone was pretty young except for Mr. Regal. They're so much different now."

"We _were_ pretty young for saving the world, I know, but someone had to do it."

Marille stopped smiling at the mention of that group's greatest accomplishment. She had been told the stories since before she could walk, but at some point during her childhood she said she was sick of hearing them all the time. The stories slowed to a trickle, and then soon were only told when company was present. They were never directly for her anymore.

She both despised it and missed it…but she didn't quite know why.

It wasn't as if she'd forgotten that the world owed her family a lot, but that fact had never been very novel to her, therefore it seemed unimportant. Yet she'd met a couple townspeople who were constantly in awe of her mother and father. Didn't that kind of emotional wonder get tiring after a few days? Somehow they managed to keep it up for years.

As she continued to look at the picture, Marille wondered, as she often had as a child, what sort of person Ratatosk was. Had he changed permanently into 'Emil'? Or was he there behind her father's eyes, watching her grow up? Did he love her too?

There was no way of knowing that didn't involve asking outright, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. _He_ might answer. And then what would she say?

There was a scraping sound and she looked up to see Marta carefully pulling what appeared to be a jewelry box out of a dark corner. She brought it over and slowly opened the lid. Marille gasped and drew closer, fascinated by the glittering jewels inside.

"Why didn't you tell me we had things like this? Are they expensive?"

"Priceless is a better word for it. These are different from regular stones because they have magic written into their cores. We've already learned what we could from them, but if you're interested you can try to use them."

She recognized an amethyst, sapphire, and ruby but couldn't name the rest. Gemology was a particular field that had never caught her interest. Eagerly, Marille picked one up and waited to receive knowledge in some mysterious way.

"…Is it broken?" she wondered after fifteen disappointing seconds.

"It takes a little more effort than that. You can hold onto them for me if you like." She looked out the window. "Come on, let's go have lunch. We've been up here all morning! I hope nobody came in the clinic while we were playing around."

Marille picked up the jewel box and smiled a little as she peeked back inside to look at their glittering facets.

**Marille has earned the title I Like Sparklies**

**One whose keen eyes are always on the lookout for something shiny.**

**A/N: This was a fanfic I co-authored with Crimson Fallen Angel about three or four years ago, but she's sadly left the 'verse and I decided not to let this story go to waste in a dustbin. I had no real preference for Lloyd (as long as it wasn't Presea) but she liked the Sheena pairing, so that explains that. Also, just so everyone knows, "Marille" is a combination of Marta and Emil's names and made a little more feminine.**


	2. Dusk

**Chapter 2: Dusk**

Marille continued to ask her mother questions all during lunch. It had been so long since they had talked about the adventure of Marta's youth that the young girl had forgotten much of the story. Now that she was older, she realized her child's understanding of the events had kept her from seeing some of the most important moments of their journey.

"…but by then it was too late and Alice lost the only man who ever loved her," Marta finished.

Her daughter tilted her head to one side slightly, imagining what Alice must have looked like when she died beside Decus, but as her eyes drifted upward they suddenly fastened on the clock above the stove.

"Is it really 1:30?!"

Marta's head whipped around. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Do you need me to—"

"No, I'll make it if I leave right now."

"Marille, stop," the command in her mother's voice brought her up short. "How is your side?"

Although she was itching to get going right away, the girl paused long enough to let the woman feel along the left side of her ribcage. The little bump there pinched a little and Marta saw her wince.

"I'll need to give you another dose of healing when you get back."

"Can I _go_ now, Mom?"

The second Marta nodded Marille shot out the door, shoes slapping the ground as she pelted down the street. She took a shortcut through an alley and startled a cat that had been minding its own business. She ignored its yowl as she took a flying leap over a trashcan that had fallen down and several minutes later she skidded to a stop in front of the Weapons Guild.

The moment she entered she knew her absence had been noted. Sasha and her father, Teran, completely ignored her while they showed the other three students how to hold a rapier properly. She knew she was in trouble so she lowered herself to her knees by the door where she was to wait for the verdict.

As soon as each student had a rapier and was practicing some beginner swings Marille saw Sasha's eyes flick over to her. She made a quick motion with her head and walked to the weapon room. The Castagnier girl followed slowly, wishing she was sick enough to warrant an excuse that Sasha and Teran would accept.

When she reached the doorway, a heavy broadsword was thrust at her. "You will be practicing the same exercises with this."

Marille groaned inside as she stared at the weapon that was too large for her. It wasn't as heavy as a real broadsword because it was for training, but she herself wasn't exactly built to wield such a bulky weapon in the first place. She accepted it without a word, though, and took her place with the others. Every attempt to treat the sword like a rapier resulted in clumsy failure, and a flush slowly crept up her neck to her face, refusing to leave.

After nearly an hour of grueling exercises, they were all permitted to claim their usual weapons. The girl carefully replaced the broadsword on its pegs and picked up the much lighter long sword. The difference in weight was almost a shock for the first minute, and her muscles were already sore from handling the broadsword.

Teran motioned to her and she obediently stepped forward. "You will be first today. Challenger?"

A boy by the name of Kentin volunteered. He lifted a long-handled ax and held it like a warrior.

Even though all the training weapons were dull-edged, they could still break bones easily if enough force was behind them. Marille seldom came home without bruises. She poised, waiting for the signal.

"Begin."

They flew at each other, striking one hard blow to test the defenses of their opponent and then backing off a step or two. The ax was usually a simple weapon to beat since its head was large and weighty, but Kentin prided himself on being able to flip the weapon upside-down and use the handle to block attacks, then in the same movement flip it back into attack position.

Still, Marille knew his tricks. He was vulnerable in the brief second between one end of the ax and the other. She caught him mid-turn and his parry was weak at best, but then suddenly their weapons slid apart and Marille found herself disarmed.

For an instant the only sound was the clatter of her sword against the stone floor, then Teran made comments on Kentin's technique. Once the boy had regained his seat with the others, the trainer turned to her.

"You twisted your wrist to get a better grip on the hilt when you should have tightened all your arm muscles and spread your feet to hold your ground. That's why the lower end of the ax head tore the sword from your hands."

Marille didn't need his critique to know what she had done wrong. In fact she had done that very thing on purpose because she thought the fight would be easy.

She sat down and stared at the other two students as they fought, but without seeing much. She was too frustrated at her own failure. A few minutes later the four students stood and bowed to their teachers, but before they left the guild Sasha called her name.

The girl walked over. "Yes?"

"I am disappointed in your lack of improvement lately, Marille. When your parents first asked us to teach you, my father was flattered. He is not so flattered anymore."

"Sorry…"

"It is obvious you have great talent, but you don't apply yourself the same way you did in the beginning. You seem to be bored. Why is that?"

Marille could only shrug a little. After another few seconds of silence Sasha said she could go home.

**Marille has earned the title Lazy Novice  
****Hey, it was just _one_ time! Now it's practically tattooed on my forehead…****  
**

%*%

Marta Castagnier's eyes slid over her daughter with a trace of worry. "Are you sure you feel alright now?"

Marille stretched a little, massaging her side and trying to shake off the tingling sensation that always accompanied healing spells. "I'm fine."

Her mother sighed and turned away. "I just wish we could figure out why that complaint keeps coming back. No matter how many times I heal you, it doesn't fix the problem. But your father says it's under control, so there shouldn't be any need to worry. Still, I wish..."

"Mom, I just need a healing every couple months and I'm good as new. It's not a big deal!" She stood up straight and crossed her arms the way she'd seen her mother do countless times. "Now are we going to get dinner ready or is Dad going to come home and eat leftovers?"

Some time later Marta looked out at the rain and gave a sigh. He would be wet through, but she'd be happy to see him no matter what state he was in. This time he'd been gone for two weeks to negotiate a "mutual aid agreement" with Vinata, the new village near Ozette. He was also on the lookout for any news on that rebel group, the Heralds.

Dinner was finished, but she left it in the oven to keep warm until he arrived. Emil would be so surprised. They had set out the wedding china and tied silver ribbons on the chairs and she'd even taken out the wine they'd gotten in the donation box last year. This was a special occasion after all.

She gave a youthful twirl in front of the mirror and then self-consciously smoothed down her dress. Marille would be wearing her best outfit too. They wanted to impress the man of the house, and maybe he would stay for a whole month this time…

Marta repressed that feeling of loneliness. It wasn't right for her to wish him home every day, especially when he did so much necessary work. His was a busy life, and the clinic only had an emergency once every few months or so. It didn't need his constant attention…but she did.

Once upon a time she would have spoken her mind…but he _did_ miss them and all those places _did_ need him. Especially the stables in Mizuho—he couldn't leave them for long. Every time he came home he said he was sorry for having been away so long. Every time he left he said he was sorry for going. Was it right to make him feel even more guilty?

It affected their daughter worse than it did Marta herself, at this point. Marille didn't even talk about Emil unless she absolutely had to. She was glad when he was home, but whenever he was gone, her disposition towards him turned so sour. Maybe she could convince him to take her along one of these days. The change might do her good and they could have more quality time together. Perhaps their daughter would understand better why he had to be gone so often if she accompanied him.

Her eyes caught sight of a bottle of perfume on the vanity table. Hadn't she left it in the clinic? Ah! Marille. The girl probably wanted her mother to be as nice as possible for tonight.

Marta twisted off the cap and dabbed some on her fingers, applying it to her wrists and neck. The scent was flowery, sweet and pungent.

She'd never tried a perfume this strong before. Maybe she used too much. The woman wafted her face to clear the air a little, but since it was on her hands she only managed to blow more of the overwhelming scent into her nostrils.

How odd… Marta put a hand to her temple as a headache began to pound behind her eyes. It really was too strong.

She stepped toward the window to open it despite the rain, but her legs seemed rubbery and she crashed into the vanity. The perfume bottle toppled to the floor and broke, sending out new waves of the inebriating scent.

She tried to call Marille, but her tongue was thick in her mouth and her eyes grew heavier until she couldn't keep them open any longer…

Down the hall, Marille was checking on the food when she heard the crash and glass breaking. "Mom? Are you all right?"

She walked to the hallway and saw the door closed, but her mother wasn't making any sounds at all. Not even a growl at having been clumsy enough to break something. She approached her parents' bedroom and stepped back suddenly as a sickly-sweet stench assaulted her nose.

"Mom, what's wrong in there?!"

There was no answer. She coughed and covered her nose with a hand towel then opened the door.

A flood of the strong smell came surging out. She pinched her eyes shut and tried to breathe as little as possible. Marille stumbled inside and felt blindly for the bedpost. Her foot touched something in the middle of the floor and she peeked down.

Through her watering eyes she could see her mother lying there without moving.

Ignoring the pulsing pain beginning to form in her head, she grabbed her mother's arm and pulled her toward the kitchen. She could only do it with one limb since she had to hold the towel to her face, but the girl refused to give up and slammed the door shut as soon as they were clear.

The air was cleaner, but still soaked with the powerful scent…and her mother still wasn't moving. Marille dropped the towel and gripped the unconscious woman beneath the armpits, hauling her to the back door. The moment they were outside in the rain and wind she felt better. The headache was still there but ebbing now.

Worried about her mother, she propped her against the house and ran to the fence dividing their yard from the neighbor's. She clambered over, ripping her best dress and getting it muddied as she landed on the other side. Paying no heed to it, the young girl ran up to the door and pounded on it with all her might.

A few seconds later Cherry, the nine-year-old, answered. "Marille! What's wrong?"

"My mom! It's my mom! I got her out but she's—"

And before she could say another word, the sickly smell finally reached her stomach and she threw up all over her neighbors' porch before falling into their flower bed. She didn't remember anything after that.

**Marille has gained the title Neighborly  
****A promise not to complain if Cherry or her parents ever lose their lunch all over the Castagniers' porch.****  
**

**A/N: That probably means Marille _isn't_ the one who put the perfume bottle there. But then, who did...? Oh yes, and as you can tell, I personally love titles. There's no such thing as self-restraint when it comes to this. The more, the better!**


	3. Embark

**Chapter 3: Embark**

Marille covered her nose and mouth with a thick towel before she made her way into the house. She fingered the vial in her hand and slowly opened the door to her mother's room.

Traces of the scent tickled her nose, but they weren't strong enough anymore to affect her. She saw the shattered perfume bottle and noticed it was next to one of her mother's shifts. Carefully taking a pair of scissors, she cut a strip and stuffed it into the vial, using a stopper to close it tightly.

She left and hurried upstairs to the attic. Hardly wasting a moment, she found her father's old weapons and chose the strongest one. No, she hadn't exactly learned how to use this specific type of sword, but she couldn't waste time running back to her trainer for nothing but a practice weapon.

Marille went to her room and dug through her drawers for extra clothes, stuffing everything she thought she needed into a leather pack. As she started to leave, her eye fell on the small jewelry box with the stones inside. Hardly giving it a thought, the girl picked it up and slipped it also into the bag.

A minute later she emerged from the house and hurried back to the neighbors'. She ran into the room where her mother had lain for a full day and two nights, but at the sight of her serene, unflinching face Marille stopped short.

There was no change. She assumed the poison had been too strong and her mother had been in the middle of it too long. Hopefully this condition wasn't permanent…but it wasn't looking good and there wasn't a good healer for thirty miles in any direction. Their clinic was the best in the entire area.

The Castagnier girl sat at the desk in the corner and looked again at the badly-crumpled note there. It was an apology from her father that had arrived the morning after all this had happened. It didn't say much except that he wasn't coming back for at least a week. There were no names or places mentioned; not even what sort of threat would make him change his plans literally at the last minute.

Marille gave an exasperated and half-wild noise as she closed it in her fist once more and threw the paper on the floor. Of all the times to cancel on his family! Did he not care at all?

"I have no choice…" she said to herself, trying to keep her anger in check. "He needs to know what's happened to Mom and I need to find some kind of cure. Sending letters forever won't help. I need to go _myself_."

Cherry's parents had promised to take care of Marta as well as they could. At least she was able to swallow liquefied food despite being in a coma, so she wouldn't get dehydrated or starve.

Marille wrote a few lines on a paper and left it on the desk, then kissed her mother on the cheek with a sad goodbye. She didn't really want to go. Luin was all she'd ever known, and traveling with her parents was much different from traveling alone. Was she doing the right thing?

**Marille has gained the title Reluctant Adventurer:  
****But if she won't do it, who will?****  
**

%*%

The short mountain range posed no problem for her since she had often traveled the trail as she grew up. On the way she saw a giant bird flying low over the trees, possibly her father's simurgh or fenia, but it was too far away to be sure.

Marille checked the sword sheath to make sure the weapon could be drawn quickly at a moment's notice and her hand fell on her pocket, reminding her of the message inside it. She gritted her teeth with deeper anger as she recalled those words. They were burned into her memory from the moment she saw them: _Hope you enjoyed the present, demon-family!_

She had stopped by the clinic to leave a notice that it would be closed indefinitely, but she checked the donation box before leaving…only to find that. Marille had no doubt it was connected to the perfume, but that insult—that accusation—!

She picked up the pace, yearning now more than ever for her father. If only she could call his monsters! They watched the area around Luin and most would approach her when she had food (in fact, they were tame enough that _anyone_ with food was able to attract them), but never was she able to touch them unless her father was with her.

Marille remembered riding them often as a child when Emil went on trips to the temples. He tried to teach her to connect with the monsters, but she simply didn't understand the technique he described to her.

The girl looked up as a cloud drifted over the sun. It would be too late to make camp by the time she reached the first pass. A better idea would be to find someplace within the next hour.

It didn't take long to find a clearing where others had bedded down, and it was ideal being close to a spring of fresh water. Some wild onions caught her eye and she gathered them after refilling her canteen. She had some dried meat in her pack and a few other vegetables she could mince up to make a stew of some kind.

While she set about making a fire, Marille continued to fret over her course of action. Mizuho was the best place to go since Sheena and Lloyd had a network of resources all over the world. Surely they could help…but where was Mizuho now? Her father told her they were in the process of relocating about a year earlier and then she hadn't heard anything else since. All she could think of was finding someone who might know the way. The closest one lived in Craosolt, on the coast just south of Hima. He rarely left because his wife needed him.

Marille stared into the fire as her small pot of soup warmed. For some reason she couldn't get the temples out of her mind. She could remember going to them all, but not why. Her mother had never come and for some reason that seemed strange to her…both then and now.

For the first time a different possibility occurred to her: did her mother never accompany them because Emil had never _told_ her where they were going? The prospect made her feel cold in an unfamiliar way.

She ate quietly and made sure the fire had enough wood to stay burning for another three hours or so, then she settled back on her blanket and stared at the stars. Sleep didn't come quickly because her mind was too absorbed in trying to remember the temples.

When her eyes finally did grow heavy, she was dreaming before she even realized it. But of course she didn't know that until she woke up the next morning…

Tenebrae had looked at her with those great eyes and said many things she didn't understand. Still, she knew that he was not pleased and neither was her father. He had stood between her and the Centurion as though protecting her. Tenebrae had taken a step back and said more things that made her father relax some…then she was lying down and the Centurion's tail hovered over her like a scorpion's, ready to strike…

%*%

Halfway to Craosolt, Marille found the remains of a caravan that had been attacked and burned no more than a week earlier, then the rest had been picked through by whatever travelers who went this way. An 'H' inside a triangle had been cut into the side of one broken wagon signifying it was a victory of the Heralds.

They hid along trade routes ambushing transports for supplies. They struck hard and fast, sometimes leaving only women and children alive and other times slaughtering everyone—but occasionally killing no one at all, just stealing all the supplies. Some said they were half-elves, but others insisted they were humans using Exspheres. There was no way to know for certain without capturing them, but no one had ever done so. Emil insisted they were a small group or else there would be more raids, but they were deadly all the same.

Shrugging off the uneasy thoughts about the Heralds and their unpredictable ways, she continued on. For the rest of that day she imagined eyes peeking out from behind every tree and boulder.

Three days after leaving Luin, Marille wearily searched among the houses in Craosolt for one that looked familiar. She finally gave up and asked directions, only to have the nearest house pointed out to her. She walked up to the door but just as she raised her fist to knock, it swung open and three children barreled into her. They were followed by a man with red hair and a rather exasperated look on his face.

"Kids, do you _have_ to attack every single person who comes to our door? I told you before to wait until you know for sure they're traveling salesmen or Martel Witnesses, _then_ you can—" He stopped short as he recognized his children's newest victim. "Marille, is that you?"

"Hi, Zelos," she called above the racket the kids were making. They kept trying to bounce on her for some reason and their father had to rescue her.

"Come inside and see Karyn. She was just saying last week that we haven't seen you in nearly a year and a half." He held open the door as she entered. "Karyn! We have company."

A soft, almost flowery voice replied from the kitchen, "Let me put Rhonda's hair in a towel and I'll be right there."

The girl tried to keep her footing as the three children came surging back into the house to each tell their mother that it was Marille and their own version of what she looked like now. A minute later the woman herself came down the hallway wiping her hands on an apron. There was a child hanging from every side, all yammering together.

"Calm down, calm down! I'll see for myself how she's changed."

Karyn stopped a foot away and Zelos took her hand, gently guiding it to rest on Marille's shoulder. Her hands slowly felt along the girl's neck and face. The woman's blank, unseeing eyes fluttered as though she was surprised.

"You seem taller than I remember. Zelos, which door is Marille's?"

"Second bedroom," he supplied.

"No it's not! That's Rhonda and Trisha's. Hers is the door to the basement."

"Well, if you knew that already then why did you ask?" he wondered with a hint of teasing in his voice.

She chuckled as she led the way to 'Marille's door' and made the girl stand against the frame. Zelos used his knife to cut a notch in the wood at exactly her height and Karyn eagerly felt the distance between that and the mark from a year and a half ago.

"Two inches…and a quarter! You must have hit another growth spurt, Marille. Unless you're wearing high heels, that is," she said with mock-suspicion.

"I wouldn't have made it here if I had."

The family grew silent almost simultaneously. Karyn's blind eyes almost seemed to be searching for something while Zelos immediately started drilling her. "Are you saying you walked here? Why? Where are your parents?"

"Zelos, calm down. Can't you see she's exhausted? And here I am measuring her, of all things! Come into the drawing room and sit down. Once you rest a little and have something to eat _then_ you can talk—no matter what a certain man might say."

Karyn's no-nonsense attitude produced the effect Marille had been looking forward to for days. The children practically hustled her into a large, comfy chair and put her sore feet up on a stool while their mother made tea and some quick sandwiches in the kitchen.

Once her appetite and thirst had been satisfied, the pacing Zelos was finally able to ask his questions again. Slowly the tale came out…

"So you need to find Mizuho. It was moved into the mountains south of Triet. If you get within two miles, Sheena's scouts will take you to her."

"Thank you," she breathed, for the first time beginning to feel as though things weren't all depending on her. "I didn't know who else to look for, and my father could be _anywhere_."

The former Chosen drummed his fingers along the back of the couch behind which he was standing. "If you had to you could go to Izoold. They villagers are going to celebrate World Reunification and wanted as many of us there as possible. Sheena and Lloyd will most likely be there, Regal, Raine...and your father might drop in too, though our family can't attend. It's been eighteen years ago this month, you know."

"Yes, I heard about it but I can't wait another week to find a cure for Mom…if there _is_ one… It's been too long already and I need to leave as soon as it's morning."

Karyn leaned toward her husband and whispered something. He lit up and said, "We don't have a wagon or any animals you can ride, but you will need provisions and we can help with that at least."

Marille gave them a tired but grateful smile. "I suppose in return I stay here with the little ones?"

"That might be a good trade." The woman sitting opposite her seemed to have a gleam in her eye. "After all, I can't go out alone and Zelos would get all the wrong things if I wasn't there to keep tabs on him. No matter how good of a cook he pretends to be, he can't haggle worth a handful of beans."

"Don't worry. They'll be safe with me while you're out."

Zelos took a rose-colored jacket off a peg by the door and started to put it on, but Karyn clicked her tongue. "Take it off."

"Take what off?" he asked a little too innocently.

"You know what. _Off_."

He sighed and put it back. "I don't know why you care so much about what color my clothes are if you can't even see."

"Appearances are still important, and not everybody is as blind as _you_, dear," she said with a smile that spoke of a private joke. "The shops will only be open a little while longer, so we'd better hurry."

The door closed behind them and Marille sat down with the four children in a circle as they showed off their toys. Trisha, Lauri and Chelt (the only boy) proudly produced small weapons their father had made for them. They took turns attacking the miniature figure of a stuffed hydra.

Rhonda was the youngest and was the least interested in weaponry. Instead she busied herself by running her hands over objects pulled from Marille's pack and trying to figure out what they were. When she stood up once, everyone else leaped up too to make sure she didn't trip on anything because Rhonda was also blind.

While they continued to assault the innocent monster, Marille played with them and couldn't help wishing she had younger siblings.

**Karyn has gained the title Down to Earth  
****No beating around the bush with this one, and no castles in the air either. But she's still willing to have fun.****  
**

**A/N: I couldn't help including someone I think Zelos would have fallen for. Sorry to all you ZxS fans, but I just don't buy their relationship. Here's a short version of their history.**

Because she was blind, Karyn's family considered her useless and neglected her, but thirteen years earlier Zelos met her by chance in Sybak. He volunteered to take her someplace where she could make a decent living away from everyone who had been so cruel to her. She naturally leaped at the opportunity.

Zelos had always worn a mask to keep people away (in my experience, womanizers are often hiding insecurities), but Karyn could see straight through it since she wasn't distracted by his looks and could easily detect the insincerity in his voice. After the first wave of shock and discomfort, he was able to stop putting on a front and could actually be himself around her.

By the time they reached Craosolt, Zelos had realized not only that he didn't want to go back to living a farce, but that he enjoyed being there for someone who really did need him. In less than a year he proposed and she accepted, and they lived there ever since.


	4. Destination

**Chapter 4: Destination**

Marille had gone through the mountains in order to shave off a day and a half of walking to Craosolt, but now that she knew where to find Mizuho there was no point in clearing her own trail when she had a perfectly good road to follow. But she had to go slowly since she wasn't used to so much traveling, and barely reached Hima by nightfall.

Upon her arrival, the Castagnier girl was so exhausted that she decided to use some of her precious gald to stay the night at an inn. Once her belongings were in the room and she had ordered food, she was able to sit downstairs and relax for a few minutes.

There was a group of people nearby and she ignored them until one phrase caught her interest straight away.

"—then I was told they're a demon-family. After all, they control monsters and—"

Marille was standing at their table in less time than it took to blink. "Who is a 'demon-family'?" she demanded.

The man in travel-worn clothes looked up at her in surprise. "The Castagniers, of course. I came from Luin about three weeks ago and—let me tell you!—the people there have gotten so used to the monsters running around that they hardly flinch when the things come into town for scraps. And they're not the kind you find creeping around a forest, no sir! They're huge, and any single one can wipe out the town if it gets in a bad mood. I wouldn't live there for ten thousand gald!"

The other listeners nodded to each other, throwing questions out as they appeared to decide the man was telling the truth. "Doesn't seem natural, does it?" "Are the Castagniers really demons?" "How would we know if they weren't?"

"I would like a word with you," Marille said in a firm voice that betrayed her anger.

The man looked at her. "Little girl, trading is over for the day and I would prefer not to leave my dinner."

"Very well, I'll settle things right here."

She brought her fists down on the table so hard that the trader's mug fell over onto his plate, ruining his food. He jumped up fuming, but when he saw her blazing eyes and heard the next words out of her mouth, he nearly swallowed his tongue.

"My name is Marille Castagnier and you are a _liar!_"

The entire group crowded around the table seemed to leap back all together. Marille dominated the conversation, railing about the unethical nature of his gossip and its unfounded presumption as well as the damaging effects it had on her mother.

Once the story about the poisoning was out, all sympathy seemed to be with the Castagniers and the trader became an instant criminal. He looked around pleadingly at everyone, almost begging them to come to his rescue, but by then there was not a single person in the room on his side.

Marille finished her harangue and stood, hands on hips, waiting for his excuse. "Well? My mother's coma may very well be _your_ doing. Do you have anything to say?"

The trader mumbled an indistinct apology. "It wasn't me… I mean, I didn't make it up. The week after I left Luin I met another trader who told me the tale. I didn't see any reason not to spread it…"

"Who was he?"

"Guntz, by name. He said he got the news straight from a reliable source. I didn't think he would lie."

The girl walked over to the wall and picked up a discarded mallet, then she returned to the table. "You listen, and you listen _good_. I want you to go straight back the way you came and fix the mess you started. I don't care if it takes you all year—you're going to make this right and clear my family's name!"

He fidgeted, not looking her directly in the eye. "But I won't get any business if I go right back along the route I came. People only buy from you once, y'know."

"Would you rather I told my father and all his friends that you're most likely the cause of the attack on Marta Castagnier?"

The trader's eyes widened. "No, no! I can go back. I may not sell anything, but I can retrace my route in a couple weeks or so."

With the agreement made, Marille laid the threatening mallet back down and stepped away. Her face was still pinched with anger but now she looked more satisfied. She made one more remark on his dubious character and then returned to her own table to eat in peace.

The peace didn't last long, however. News traveled fast and Hima's people flooded the inn, eager to hear from the daughter of Emil and Marta. For the rest of the evening she became the central storytelling figure and wasn't able to escape until far into the night.

**Marille has gained the title Interrogator  
****One well-versed in the talents of retrieving information by unconventional means. Occasionally involves a large mallet.****  
**

%*%

The next couple days were uneventful except for some encounters with monsters. Her father's Black Sword was a bit too large, but she handled it well enough to defeat her opponents. Out of pure curiosity she tried to make a pact with a bear the way Emil had showed her as a child…but the result nearly got her killed and she gave up on that entirely.

The mountains stretched wide on all sides, the trees only serving to further disorient her. By keeping Linsu Peak in sight she was able to avoid getting lost, but that didn't necessarily mean she knew where she was.

According to Zelos, there ought to be a creek near the base of the peak, and if she followed it upstream a few hours there would be a canyon just beyond a series of small waterfalls. Mizuho was at the far end. He also warned her it may not be easy to find, but he was certain that she would be recognized and brought directly there.

The creek wound its way toward the peak, leading her on a merry chase through brambles and swarms of biting flies. Marille began wondering if she was going the right way. There had been no signs of people, making her suspect that perhaps there was more than one creek and she'd chosen to follow the wrong one.

While she was trying to take a shortcut through the water, her foot slipped on a stone and she fell in. Because the current was a bit strong, she was knocked about a little before she managed to regain her feet.

When she made it to the other side, her ribcage along the left side had a heavy bruise that grew tender and dark over the next hour. Even more troubling was that the bump on her side started giving her a twinge of pain whenever she moved too quickly. Since she had received the healing from her mother it shouldn't have been a problem for at least another month, but things just seemed to be working against her during this trip.

Even so, it was a relief when she came to a tiered set of waterfalls. It couldn't be far, but shouldn't she have met a Mizuho scout by now? Marille hadn't exactly been trying to hide, and even if she had tried, she seriously doubted she could have fooled them.

She had reached the base of the mountains, still surrounded by forest, and had just run into yet another thorn thicket. This time her pack got caught and she couldn't get out. That's when she heard something that sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter. _Familiar_ muffled laughter, that is.

Rubbing her temples and heaving a deep sigh, she said, "How long have you guys been watching me?"

Soft footfalls came from behind and she turned to see two figures emerge from the bushes. They both wore dark blue outfits and their identical faces effectively kept her from telling them apart. They were only about a year older than her, but she had to remind herself of that sometimes because they didn't always act as mature as they looked.

"Just four hours or so," one said, still trying not to snigger too loudly.

"I almost jumped in to help when you tripped, but Leo bet me thirty gald you'd get out before you floated fifteen feet downstream. I bet ten feet, though, so he owes me."

Leo stopped laughing long enough to give his brother a dirty look. "You didn't have to tell her _that_, Geo."

"Aren't you guys wondering why I'm hiking out here all by myself?" Marille interrupted them.

"It crossed our minds, but we figured you needed the exercise."

Her eye twitched slightly. "Was there an easier way to reach Mizuho? A shortcut you could have guided me to?"

The boys continued to grin. "Maybe."

"Look, I'm here to tell you about my mother—"

"Is that all?" Geo asked. "Sheesh! We've known about that for ages! Mom's got all her people working on it. That's why we're the ones out here on scouting duty."

The Castagnier girl could barely keep from grinding her teeth. "You're right. It explains why a couple of amateurs are toying with me instead of doing their job."

That sobered them up immediately and they helped extricate her from the thorn bush. Once out, she was a little less inclined to be upset with them. After all, the Irving twins were some of her best friends even though she only saw them every couple months or so.

Geo picked a twig out of her hair as he said, "You didn't really think Mom needed to know about the whole incident with your mother, did you?"

"Well..."

"She's got the best spy network in the world and you thought you needed to come out and tell her something this important?"

"Why didn't she send me a message to let me know I wasn't alone?"

"She did but you weren't there to get it," Leo laughed behind her. "You kind of fell off the face of the map and she wasn't sure where you went. But we received word last night that you'd been to see the Wilders and they said you were looking for Mizuho. That's when she sent us to wait for you. C'mon, let's get going!"

They left the stream and took her along a path only they could see, cutting off about an hour's march. When they insisted on taking her pack, she first thought it was because they were being gentlemanly. Turned out they just wanted to eat all the provisions Zelos and Karyn had gotten for her since she wouldn't need them once they reached the village.

The distinctive houses of Mizuho were a welcome sight but there were very few people about. She noticed a series of ladders going up the rugged sides of the canyon, and Leo told her they led to the mountain terraces where they grew their food since the area below was too shady for crops.

The boys led her directly to the chief's home and there was Sheena kneeling at a short table, busy writing something in one of the many codes she had to use for different branches of the network. It was obvious the twins took after her with their black hair and thin faces. They had inherited Lloyd's build, though.

She looked up but before she could do more than smile, her sons turned beet red and shouted together, "_**Mom!**_"

Sheena looked down at the outfit which emphasized her well-endowed bust. "Oh yes, that."

Marille couldn't help being somewhat shocked herself. She'd never seen the woman wear anything other than modest clothing, but this was all too revealing. As Sheena pulled on a light purple kimono, she seemed a bit apologetic.

"When Lloyd and I married he asked me to stop advertising myself to every man I met, so I've been much more discreet in public. In my own home, however, I like to be more relaxed."

"Mom, you know we hate it when you do that," Geo grumbled, facing the wall.

Leo nodded beside him, still red. "I really don't want an image like that following me around for a week. Is there some way you could let us know when _not_ to come in?"

"I'll think about it. Boys, you can turn around. I'm decent. But Marille, I expected you this morning. Leonard and Giovanni weren't able to find you?"

Her sons exchanged embarrassed looks as she said, "More like they decided to watch me take the long route and took bets on how helpless they thought I was."

"Sounds like them." She narrowed her eyes at the boys. "I believe both of you need to learn the difference between obeying orders and amusing yourselves. Harvest duty for a month, labor detail."

"But Mom—the ladders?!"

"It was just a joke!"

Though they were each half a head taller than her, the instant their mother stood, she magically managed to tower over them. "In the meantime I want you two to bring some refreshments for our guest. And I want some tea. Don't make me ask twice."

They scrambled out, afraid if they wasted any more time she would assign some new punishment. The moment she was alone with Marille, the leader of the village turned to her with a smile.

"Now that we have them out of our hair, how are you?"

She gave a dispirited sigh. "I would be better if my mother hadn't been poisoned."

"I'm so sorry. I would have gone to see you myself as soon as I heard, but someone had to organize all the intelligence we received, and Lloyd is helping your father—"

"What?! Where _is_ he?" she demanded angrily.

"Meltokio. Last week we intercepted a message about the leaders of the Heralds gathering there. We've never had an opportunity like this, so they both left to try capturing them." Sheena sifted through the papers on her table until she found one. "The last report I got from them came three days ago. They're keeping a low profile and won't be able to send or receive any messages until they spring the trap. I sent an agent with news about Marta, but it was too dangerous to use the usual channels, so I can't be sure they even know about her yet."

Marille shook off the disappointment. "Whether he knows or not, my mother still needs help. We were given a bottle of perfume that morning. I brought a sample."

She held it out and Sheena carefully took and unstoppered it. The scent was still potent.

"Foxweed!" she coughed, closing the vial again quickly. "A perfume bottle, you say? That would explain why Marta didn't realize it was dangerous until it was too late."

"So you know if there's a way to help her?"

"Raine would. She's been cataloging plants from the Camberto Caves for years. Much of that time has also been spent finding uses for them—and making antidotes for the poisonous ones. If anyone could help your mother, it's her."

Just then the door opened and her sons returned with a tray of food and mug of steaming green tea. Sheena turned to them and quipped out an order.

"Leonard, give me that and go get two agents."

He handed it over and ran off again, returning a few minutes later with two men whose masks were drawn over their faces. Sheena gestured to the one on the left.

"Marille, do you remember Genji?"

She looked at the ninja who bowed his head slightly to her and could just barely remember his name. "You're the one who saved me, aren't you?"

"It was a pleasure to be able to serve you, Miss Castagnier."

"Genji, Rajin, we've just learned why Marta is in a coma: she's been exposed to a concentrated dose of foxweed. I need Rajin to take this vial to Raine in Iselia and she will give you an antidote. Genji, you head to the coast and get a boat ready so that as soon as Rajin brings the antidote and you can take it straight on to Luin. You'll be using the fastest steeds we have left. Any questions?"

They said nothing and she dismissed them. When Sheena turned back to look at her young guest, she saw that Marille was staring at the floor, oblivious to everything around her.

"Are you thinking about Genji?"

"I don't really remember…"

Marille remained where she was, thinking of the one time in her life when she was in great danger but couldn't remember anything about it. Back when she was seven everyone said she had been kidnapped, but all she could say about it was that one moment she was at the edge of Luin, and the next time she opened her eyes she was tied to a tree in the woods in the middle of the night. Genji had been standing over her, cutting the ropes to set her free. Apparently he'd tracked them down and fought her kidnapper, ending in the man's death.

Occasionally she still had flashes of memory when she dreamed, but they were so far away and indistinct that anything new she might have gleaned from them was lost on waking.

**Sheena has gained the title Herbalist  
****I only know a small number of plants, actually. I guess I'm just lucky that was one of the few I have experience with.****  
**

**A/N: I couldn't help poking at Sheena's original choice of wardrobe and how it may affect those around her. Besides, when I got married my husband asked me to ditch the outfits that screamed "I'm available!" to every guy who saw me. Good call.**


	5. Monsters

**Chapter 5: Monsters**

"You don't need to worry," Sheena said. "He should reach Iselia by nightfall and then go straight to the coast. If the boat is ready by the time he gets there, Genji will have the antidote in Luin by tomorrow evening."

"_That_ fast?"

The woman winked at her secretively. "We have better ways to travel than on foot. Your father has seen to that."

Marille looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why don't I let the boys explain. I have plenty to occupy my time and now that the most pressing matter is resolved I can get back to the inconvenient ones. You two take her to the stables."

Sheena glanced with distaste back at the table littered with papers then herded them out the door, handing Marille the tray of food as she did. Geo and Leo started pulling her toward the darker area at the far end of the canyon, snitching bites of her lunch as they went. She had to stuff what was left into her mouth to keep from losing it all.

The stables looked more like a small fortress with its tall, solid walls and a huge padlocked gate. There were indistinct noises coming from within.

"What do you keep here?"

"Monsters, of course!" one twin laughed. He pressed his face against the fence to see through a hole, then he gestured to the others. "Leo, your favorite is still here."

"Emil usually takes the new ones with him places until they get used to taking orders instead of relying on pure instincts. Once they're settled enough he drops them off here and it becomes our job to tame them, but at first they usually try to wreck everything in sight, so we have to make sure they can't get out. Take a look."

Geo stepped back and Marille put her eye to the peephole, seeing a pen with several creatures inside. An orion was rubbing its back against a post covered in small spikes and two fenrirs were playfully fighting over what looked like a trough of scraps with two other black wolves.

Geo grinned at her astonished face. "We have two corrals, each holding about a dozen. The more dangerous ones are isolated in stalls until they're able to put up with us. There are just a few left since our people are using most of them right now."

"We also have a couple manticores," his brother added. "They're a lot less friendly and so far only half a dozen of us can even touch them. It's still in the experimental phase, really. The wolfies are all we can use right now, and mainly just the big ones. Mom's entertaining some ideas about training orcas, but we can't even give it a try until we find a cove big enough to house them and still be able to close it off."

Marille continued to stare at the creatures with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "I didn't know this was even possible. I've never been able to get close to any of the monsters around Luin without Dad there."

"You mean he never told you about our stables?" Geo asked, nearly shocked. "That's why he comes every couple weeks. They get antsy after a while if they don't see their real master. He's the one who made pacts with them, after all. We're just their caretakers."

"No, I've never heard him mention..."

But she trailed off as she recalled a conversation he'd had with her mother last time he was home. Vaguely she remembered him saying he had high hopes for a couple of gentle wolves he'd made pacts with. Now she wondered if he'd made no secret of it and it was in fact her own obliviousness that kept her from realizing what was really going on. Marille had never been very interested in his travels, more resenting them than anything.

"I guess he did, actually. I just never picked up on it. Are they good mounts?"

Leo jabbed his thumb toward the monsters. "You kidding? They don't mind the saddles a bit and they can carry us fast enough to outrun just about any monsters out there. They're a lot better than horses because they don't spook easily and can fight alongside us. The only problem is that they'll run off to go find Emil if they don't see him often enough. They're fiercely loyal to him."

"Has he ever tried to get flying monsters tamed?" she wondered.

"Ha! As if we would even be stupid enough to _try_ that!" Leo snorted. "It would make all our lives easier if it was possible, but Emil learned a long time ago that birds are just too unpredictable for anyone except him to ride."

They spent most of the afternoon catching up with her and Marille started to realize how much she really didn't know about her father. But the twins did what they could to cheer her up. A few hours after she arrived, they hatched a new idea.

"Marille, do you want to go on a trip?"

She looked at Geo incredulously. "What do you think I've been doing for almost a week?"

"Yeah, but this time you'll be with us."

"And we won't be walking."

They jerked their heads meaningfully toward the stables and the Castagnier girl couldn't keep back a grin. She always did want to try riding one of her father's monsters by herself. Making sure no one was about, they grabbed what they needed from the tack room.

"You don't think your mother will mind if we took a ride?"

"Well..." Leo started. "She _did_ want us out from underfoot..."

Geo nodded in agreement. "And it would be quite educational for Marille. I don't see why not."

The saddles and harnesses didn't seem to faze the monsters when they saw the three teenagers stride into the pen. In fact, one of the fenrirs nearly scampered over to Leo and rubbed its head against his shirt.

"That's my Roxy. Such a good girl..." he murmured soothingly as he fed it a slab of dried meat and slipped the harness on. He lifted up a double-rider saddle and put it on the monster's back which it ignored because it was too busy nosing his pocket for more treats. "They only carry a pair at most, so we'll need another. Do you want to ride with me or by yourself?"

"I can do it," she replied confidently.

The other monsters continued to pay no attention until the wind shifted and they caught a whiff of the humans. The orion whipped its head around and went up to her, the long snout poking almost directly into Marille's face. It seemed almost confused, but it made no aggressive moves.

Geo looked at her and snapped his fingers. "I'll bet you smell kind of like Emil. I'm sure it won't give you any trouble. Do you want to take Duchess here or Byron?"

"I guess this one. Hey there, Duchess," she said, reaching out to stroke the huge creature's neck.

The orion calmly stood still while she eased the harness on and fastened the saddle. They had barely gotten the gate open when one of the female ninjas approached carrying saddle bags. The Irving twins nearly panicked.

"Hyou! We didn't know you needed a—" Geo started, but the woman tossed one of the bags at him.

"Your mother said to be careful if you're going all the way to Izoold. Also, you need to take the trip slower since you have a tenderfoot along. Marille, your things are in here and I restocked your supplies." Hyou helped tie it securely to Duchess's saddle and gave the monster a friendly pat. "Take care, and don't forget to send a message by one of the usual channels if you need to."

They left Mizuho a few minutes later, the boys on Roxy's back looking rather more glum than Marille expected. When she asked about it, they both huffed. Geo started grumbling,

"Mom knows us too well. We can never get away with anything."

"I'll wager fifty gald she knew we'd take forever to show Marille the way home," his brother added. "Which means she was itching to put us on harvest duty anyway."

She couldn't help smirking a bit at that, feeling they deserved it. "So are we really going to Izoold for the World Reunification-fest? I forgot it was only three days away, and I haven't been there in...gosh! Five years, I think."

"We go there every other week." Leo raised an eyebrow. "You don't get out much, do you?"

"Dad just doesn't like me traveling. I think he considers me too soft or something. He always says I won't be ready until I can go three months without needing a healing from Mom."

They had to break off their conversation long enough to spur on their mounts and get away from a group of nasty monsters, but when they were relatively safe again Geo took up right where they left off.

"You mean you _still_ haven't gotten over it after all these years? I think you really need to have Raine take a look at it or something. It's just not normal that it hasn't healed in all this time."

The Castagnier girl looked over at him, somewhat confused herself. "I know, but Dad insists that whatever it is can be kept under control for now, so there's no need to worry. Mom respects his judgment and that's all there is to it."

Leo exchanged another look with his brother. "That doesn't seem like something Emil would say. Remember the time I sprained my wrist at your house? He was all over me for days to make sure I didn't do anything to make it worse and to this day I can't stand lemon gels! He's just not callous about those things. Are you sure there's not something else going on?"

"I don't see what it could be. But if we're passing by Iselia I might as well stop and ask Raine if she can make an educated guess. I'd like to make sure the antidote is on its way to Mom anyway."

%*%

They were thankful for Sheena's foresight in supplying provisions. The twins considered this a camping trip and used it as an opportunity to tell ghost stories. But since they were such bad storytellers, Marille wasn't bothered. Roxy and Duchess were the perfect night watch. Their mere presence warded off any curious monsters and the teenagers were able to get a full night of undisturbed sleep. The following afternoon they neared the outskirts of Iselia.

"Hey, isn't that a roc?" Geo wondered, pointing at a monster flying low over the town but gaining altitude quickly.

"No, I think it's a simurgh," Leo said.

Marille stared after it, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Please don't let that be Valour..." She looked at the boys. "Let's get to Raine's right away."

"Sure."

They took her directly to Raine's home, and once it was in sight she leaped off the orion and ran inside. The half-elf was sitting at a desk surrounded by books and samples of dried leaves. She turned to see who had burst into her house and her eyes widened when she recognized the girl.

"Marille, what are you doing here? You're father was just—"

"It _was_ him!" she cried. "Why?! Why couldn't he stay just a few minutes longer? What is _wrong_ with him?"

**Marille has gained the title Bad Timing  
****This title is given to those who appear cursed to forever miss the object of their search by a short amount of time.****  
**

**A/N: Riding flying monsters would just make everything too easy, but it would be really neat to have a pet orion. Anyone care to share their favorite monster?**


	6. Friends

**Chapter 6: Friends**

After she had calmed down a bit Raine was able to tell her what happened. Apparently he and Lloyd had captured some members of the Heralds in Meltokio, but more had gone on to a different location: the old human ranch near Iselia. After they were all in chains, Emil went to Iselia itself to send a message to Sheena and let her know about their success. He stopped to pay Raine a courtesy visit and the moment she saw him she asked why he wasn't home with Marta.

"I don't believe I've ever heard your father curse since our journey—and only when he was in Ratatosk Mode. I told him I sent the antidote off yesterday and that you were safe in Mizuho with Sheena. He ran outside to summon his simurgh, and the moment it landed he jumped on its back. They took off just a few minutes before you came in."

Marille didn't say anything else but she went out the door, her face conveying to everyone that she wanted nothing more than to be alone. However, Raine followed her into the garden out back.

"Don't worry about your mother. The Mizuho ninja left right away the minute I gave it to him. It does concern me, though..."

She looked up at the woman. "What does?"

"Foxweed is extremely rare and very difficult to distill into a form as potent as the one used on Marta. Whoever did it had to either be very wealthy or very patient to be able to get so much. There aren't many I know of who would gain anything by attacking her."

The Castagnier girl pulled the note from the attacker out of her pocket. "This could be the reason."

Raine took it and read the words. "It could. Well, she should be on her way to recovery by tomorrow. Do you mind if I keep this?"

Marille nodded, then shuffled her feet nervously. "I was also wondering if you could help me. Ever since I was little, Mom has needed to heal me all the time. There's something wrong right _here_ and I have no clue what it is."

The half-elf didn't try to examine her, but instead crossed her arms and looked at Marille thoughtfully. "This sounds like a serious problem if you have to be healed repeatedly, but your father never mentioned it to me, which makes me think he's trying to hide it. Do you have any idea why he _wants_ you to have an incurable injury?"

That thought had never crossed her mind. "I... I don't know. He's my father. He wouldn't want to hurt me."

"Exactly," Raine pointed out. "Which means whatever this is, it's good for you."

"Can you tell me what you think it may be?"

"Not without an examination, and I won't do it unless I have your father's permission. He very likely has a good reason for it and I'm not going to do anything behind his back."

One look told Marille there wasn't a chance she could convince her otherwise, so after a few more customary words she excused herself. At first she didn't pay any attention to where she was going, just following wherever her feet seemed to take her, but eventually she found herself climbing the steps leading to the Temple of Martel.

Just inside the entrance she stopped, not willing to go far without the Irving twins with her, but also not willing to ask them to come along. She stood there, wishing she was strong enough to make her way inward alone and knowing full well she was not. The musty smell of dust and stone filled her nostrils, giving her the impression that a creature of great understanding and power resided here.

"_Why are you searching for me?"_ a gentle voice asked from nowhere.

Marille leaped back in alarm, looking around for the summon spirit but unable to see him. "Where are you?"

"_You know that well enough," _Verius almost chided. _"Ordinarily I cannot speak to humans so well, but some part of Ratatosk is in you. It helps you understand my voice."_

She looked down at the toes of her black boots. "Thank you for talking with me, but to be honest I don't even know why I'm here. I feel silly asking you to waste time on me when I have nothing to say and no reason that you should pay me any attention."

"_Every person is significant to me and I am incapable of wasting time. All matters of the heart are important, which is why you can hear me. Your heart is quite heavy."_

"Is she going to be alright?" she burst out. "Can you tell me if my mother will get the antidote in time?"

Verius remained silent and Marille dropped to her knees. Memories from her younger years rushed through her mind: all of them together and so happy. But when was the last time he'd had a private conversation just with her? When had he taken her along for a ride on Valour, his simurgh? Or helped her practice sword fighting?

"Even when Mom is cured, Dad won't stay. Not for long. He just doesn't seem to care enough. I want to have a relationship with him, but how can I love someone I don't even know?!"

The summon spirit's voice echoed in her head, _"I see those things you keep close to your heart, but I can see no attempt on your part to breach the gap you speak of. Is none of this your fault? Take care that you are not deceived."_

The statement drew her up short and she knelt there on the floor, dumbfounded. "But...what about his keeping me at home all the time? And never telling me what this stupid infection or whatever is all about? He doesn't trust me."

"_Unfortunately many mistake protection for oppression. You are a child. That is natural. But you ought to learn the difference before you are much older."_

Those words from anyone else would have riled Marille, but from Verius they were neither condescending or pitying. He meant them the way they sounded: as a fact of life.

"_Your father has been giving you space, hoping you would go to him when you were ready and not realizing you needed him to come to you."_

Verius made the problem seem so simple, so easily solved, but where could she start? She didn't even know _how_ to approach her father, much less what to say that would express everything she'd been holding inside so long. It seemed silly to ask the summon spirit for advice. He was simply reading her heart. She shouldn't ask for more than that. This was a problem she ought to be able to fix if she could just see her father alone for a few minutes...but she dreaded the encounter in a way she couldn't explain.

Marille inwardly felt Verius give a deep sigh. _"Ah, I understand. You cannot be truly honest with him until you are honest with yourself. Why do you feel his legacy to be such a burden on your own shoulders?"_

Her face burned with sudden shame and she was glad Verius was invisible so that she would not be forced to meet his eyes. She said nothing, but the answer leaped into her thoughts so forcefully that he couldn't avoid hearing it.

"_What makes you think of yourself as weak?"_

"It's true," she muttered around the lump in her throat, staring straight down at the floor.

Remembering her mother lying helpless back in Luin choked her up, but now when it came to this, of all things, she couldn't keep the tears back any longer. Several teardrops left salty trails down her nose and dripped onto the stone as visions flashed in front of her eyes: Sasha reprimanding her for being lazy; Mom telling her about the weapons in the attic; the bear nearly killing her after she failed to make a pact with it; falling into the river on the way to Mizuho; standing in the entrance to this temple and knowing she couldn't proceed...

"I can't get any stronger." Maybe her skills with the sword had improved over the last two years, but her strength hadn't. Whatever plateau she'd reached, it didn't appear to go any higher.

The summon spirit's voice took on a reasoning tone. _"Are you—"_

"Do you think I'm _stupid?!_" she shouted, her voice echoing along the corridor. "Maybe I can't make pacts with monsters, but I've always been able to sense the strength of my opponents and compare it to my own. I took down a harpy years ago and I took down another on my way here. The difference between us hasn't changed even though by all counts it ought to have. Tell me I just imagined _that_."

There was no reply. The only sound was the muffled splashing of more tears.

"I can never be like him. I'm just a failure."

The murmur of Verius's voice drew her back to the present. _"There is nothing I can say that will heal this wound you have been carrying. Only your father can do that. But I can give you some small level of comfort. It is not the weakness you are so afraid of, but his disapproval when he learns of it. Consider that, Marille, and do not assume that he has ever compared you to himself. That is all I shall say on this."_

The Castagnier girl rubbed away the tear streaks and sat up, wishing in a way that she hadn't come. The truth could be painful, and this was someone it was impossible to lie to. There was such a thing as understanding a person too well, and it made her more than a little uncomfortable.

She glanced out the entryway, noticing the sun had already drifted halfway to the horizon. Had she really been out for over two hours? It had only seemed a little while. The others might be worrying by now. She was glad to have some excuse to leave.

"I have to go. I won't be able to hear you once I leave this temple, will I?"

"_Unlikely. You are very attuned here, whereas the moment you step through that door your mind grows distant and you lose any ability to hear my voice. But there is one final matter I wish to inform you of. I sense a shadow over your heart. A spell has been laid upon you to make you forget something."_

"A spell?" She thought for a moment before it came to her. "The kidnapping! That man must have done it. Can you remove it?"

"_For the daughter of Ratatosk, I will. But it has been years since the spell was cast. It will take a little time to unravel. Be aware that it may stir up other faded memories in the process. Are you certain this is what you wish?"_

"Yes," Marille said confidently.

"_Very well. It is done. Remember, I am always with you."_

She felt no different and would have asked about it, but somehow she knew he wouldn't answer. Taking a deep breath that filled her nose again with the odor of dank stone and musty corridors, she stepped back out into the sunshine.

**Marille has gained the title Insecure  
****Self-explanatory.**

On her return, no mention was made of the blotchy color of her face (for which she was very grateful), and they didn't press her for details when she told them who she'd been speaking with. She was only willing to share a few of the things she learned, namely the spell.

Raine invited them to stay the night, saying it was too late for them to get far before they would have to make camp. The twins could sleep in Genis's old room and Marille could take Raine's bed. They tried to refuse, but she was so persistent that they finally gave in on the condition that the guests make supper.

While Marille was helping to slice peppers and cucumbers, a blank look passed over her face and she stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen. Geo stepped back and accidentally bumped into her, but she didn't appear to notice. Her mind was elsewhere...

_Marille couldn't say a word. Her voice seemed to be completely gone even though she was screaming in her head. The ropes tying her to the tree loosened and she fell face-first onto the damp ground, only to be propped against the trunk by the ninja who had come out of the darkness._

_Genji took something from his belt and pointed it skyward. A flare burst overhead, the afterglow remaining there for several minutes, and long before it faded away Valour landed in the nearby clearing. Her parents dismounted from the simurgh and ran over, holding her tight and fretting over her until seven other ninjas arrived along with Lloyd and Sheena._

"_What I wouldn't give to have a monster that could carry me whenever I wanted," the leader of Mizuho said to Emil, panting. "We would have found her in a matter of hours otherwise. What happened?"_

"_I crossed their trail less than an hour ago," Genji informed her. He was drenched from head to toe and blood seeped from a wound on his arm, evidence of a fight. "I was so busy trying to catch up that I didn't see him until he was on top of me. I defended myself, but we fell into the river and I stabbed him in the heart. I lost track of his body while I made my way to shore. I was careless in many ways, and for that I am more sorry than I can say."_

_She sighed. "Now there's no telling if he was working alone or even why he would kidnap a little girl."_

_Lloyd placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "She's alive and he's dead. I think that's enough for now. How is Marille?"_

_Emil was kneeling beside Marta, who was rocking her daughter and humming. "She won't speak. It may be the shock of everything."_

_Looking back at the ninja who had rescued her, Lloyd indicated Marille. "Have you tried your skill on her?"_

"_I wanted to wait for permission, Lloyd-sama," he answered._

"_You have it. See if you can find out anything."_

_Genji knelt down in front of Marille and stared into her eyes, then reached up to touch her cheek. The tips of his gloved fingers glowed slightly. After less than a minute he dropped his hand and the gleam faded._

"_There are no memories. I can see nothing because she has nothing. To her, the last five days never happened." He turned to Sheena, frustrated. "I've never seen this before. I am not sure what that man did, but somehow her memories are missing."_

Marille blinked. The twins and Raine were standing in front of her, all of them worried. "Hi, guys. Was I gone long?"

The boys gave each other a look that said they considered her officially crazy while Raine only appeared thoughtful.

"You do realize you completely zoned out, right?" Leo asked. "For two whole minutes."

"Sorry. I remembered something from a long time ago."

Geo pursed his lips. "That doesn't seem like your usual absent-minded stroll down memory lane. Are we missing something?"

She turned back to the cutting board and continued to slice the peppers. "Verius said I would remember things slowly. I guess that also means they'll be in pieces. I'll tell you what I saw over dinner."

Raine said nothing about it, and she continued her silent contemplation as they ate, though the twins had to share the version of the story they'd heard and added half a dozen theories about who the kidnapper was and why he'd gone after Marille. She wasn't overly impressed with their imaginations. Every other theory seemed to hinge on the idea that Marille herself was mistaken for a desirable princess whose marriage to the dastardly fiend would bring about his rise to nobility—or variations of that.

After the dishes were done and the boys in their room, Raine set up a cot in her own room.

"The bed is all yours. I could sleep anywhere," she reassured her guest. "Before he left to marry Sierra, Genis often found me sleeping at my desk. He always griped at me about it, but I don't remember ever lacking a good night's sleep."

Once the lantern was out Marille thought she would get some rest, but Raine finally spoke the thoughts she'd been keeping to herself all evening. "It may not have been a good idea to have Verius remove that seal today."

"But he said it was blocking my memories. That's bad, isn't it?"

"I didn't say it _wasn't_ a good idea. I just said it may not have been a good idea _today_," the half-elf specified. "I get the feeling you're not fully prepared to face what you're about to find. It might have been better to wait until you had someone like your mother or father there to walk you through anything that could be painful or confusing."

The embarrassment of being too impulsive came over her and she was glad there was no light to show the flush creeping up her neck. "Well, it's too late now. I'll just have to deal with it on my own."

Raine's sigh was all too audible. "I remember thinking that once. It took me years to realize I couldn't. Good night, Marille."

The snoring of her companions could be heard very clearly through the wall, but it hardly bothered her since her thoughts were too occupied with everything that had happened that day. Just as sleep seemed as far away as dawn, an image of something familiar filled her mind and she was whisked into another memory.

**A/N: Yes, I know Genis is supposed to be completely head-over-heels for Presea, but in reality people change. To me it never appeared to be anything more than puppy love, which is easily overshadowed by the real thing or dampened by simple maturity. Their relationship is cute, yes, but not too realistic. I always fancied he'd find a nice half-elf lass and settle down.**


	7. Loyalty

**Chapter 7: Loyalty**

_Marille was tired from having traveled a long way to reach the altar in the Temple of Darkness, so she sat on the floor and noticed bead-like bits of obsidian scattered about. It was cold and she shivered, prompting her father to wrap a cloak around her. She smiled up at him and Emil ruffled her hair good-naturedly, but the worry touching his green eyes didn't abate. __Tenebrae appeared and she waved at him, but he and her father started talking and she grew bored quickly. The pebbles were more interesting anyway._

"_Lord Emil, I'm afraid it is not remaining static as we had hoped. Whatever happened during the kidnapping, it broke the barriers the Centurions placed on her when she was born."_

"_Marta thinks I brought her here to restore them. She has no clue they won't work anymore, and anything we do is risky."_

_Both of them paused, and vaguely Marille was aware of a third member of the conversation; it could only be Ratatosk. Less than a minute later Emil nodded. _

"_That concerns us all. If the gate is being affected, we need to find a way to protect it. Is there anything we can do?"_

"_If you would permit me, there may be another way to block her powers. If her mana flow was restricted—"_

_Emil straightened suddenly and placed himself between his daughter and the Centurion. "If you do that she'll die in a matter of days!"_

_There was an almost tangible sense of anger from the invisible party directed at the black creature as well. Tenebrae had taken a respectful step back and bowed his head. _

"_My Lords, I would suggest no such thing. All I would do is channel them into an object with enough absorbent qualities that she need never know she has mana-control."_

"_What sort of object?"_

"_One very close at hand."_

_The following silence and her father's expressions made it obvious that the conversation was taking an interesting turn._

"_That may work, Ratatosk, but it's only temporary. We need something that resolves the problem, not just covers it." Emil paused and then gave a sharp laugh. "Stop pretending. You can't lie to me and I know you care about her as much as I do."_

"_If I may point out," Tenebrae spoke up, "it is obvious any real solution requires her to be more mature. Seven is too young for a permanent arrangement, but something must be done now. Perhaps in five or six years she will be strong enough that her life would not be endangered."_

_Again all talk ceased as Ratatosk put in his two cents. Her father's face grew resigned and Tenebrae vanished from sight. He said Marille's name and she scampered over, holding up her collection of shiny black pebbles proudly and wishing she could speak so that she could explain how special they were. Emil's smile faltered._

_Something slid around her neck from behind but before she could turn to look, a wave of dizziness washed over her and everything went dark for a moment. When her sight returned she was unable to focus on anything, but her mind was so fogged that it didn't seem to matter anyway._

_Tenebrae floated above, keeping her flat on the floor with his tail while Emil stared at an object in his hand._

"_I wish this wasn't the only way…"_

"_Lord Emil, we must think of what is best for all involved."_

"_There's no guarantee of that yet," he said with a hint of anger. "Are you sure she can't feel anything right now?"_

"_She is hardly aware of us at all."_

"_All right…"_

_For an instant there was a strange sensation, as though her left side was being jabbed with something sharp but it didn't hurt. Marille continued to stare upward at the ceiling of the Temple of Darkness. _

_A few seconds later her father stood, and though it was dark she could tell there was blood on his hands. He wiped them off on his clothes carelessly and pulled a special gel out of his pocket. As it melted in her mouth, a healing tingle went all through her body. Tenebrae spoke once more,_

"_You must be sure no one knows, Lord Emil. It remains to be seen whether this will be enough, and your wife... As much as I respect Lady Marta, I am also aware of how protective she is of your child. If she knew exactly what was done, she would likely be unsatisfied and try to help. Any meddling at all could easily result in a worse disruption of mana than this time. You must make certain no one suspects anything unusual."_

"_I'll do what I can," he said, lifting his daughter into his arms. "And Marille will be told when she's old enough."_

_Marille herself blinked groggily as the stupor faded away. "Daddy...?"_

_His eyes grew wide and he hugged her tightly. "You can talk!"_

%*%

She opened her eyes. The sun hadn't risen yet and she could still hear snores from the next room. Raine was lying sprawled along her cot.

Marille got out of bed, grabbed her bag and slid her boots on, lacing them up so quickly that the moment she left the house one popped loose and she had to kneel down on the dusty street to fix it. There was a grove of trees just outside town and she practically dove into it. She reached into the bag and pulled out the gift her mother had given her just last week. Her only thought was to see once and for all if it was true.

The box of gems opened and Marille picked a sapphire, clenching it in her hand and trying with all her might to access the magic. She gave up and took the ruby…only to throw it on the ground a minute later and choose another. One by one she took the gems in her fist, then dropped them.

At last she sat there staring in defeat at their glittering facets as the sun peeked over the horizon.

Why? Why hadn't he told her she could not use magic? Or even that he was the cause of it? How had she harmed the gate? And if Tenebrae thought she needed to be around twelve or thirteen before she'd be ready, why hadn't she heard so much as a whisper about it even at the age of fifteen? But most troubling of all...why hadn't he trusted his own wife with the truth?

The questions hung in the air unanswered while she slowly retrieved the useless gemstones, then almost without meaning to she felt the spot on her left side where the "object" was hidden. It continued to remain as mysterious as ever, but at least she understood a bit more now.

**Marille has gained the title Magically Incompetent  
****Okay, enough with the insults! 'Magically Incompatible' would be a lot nicer.****  
**

Saying nothing to the others about her dream or her suspicions, Marille rushed through breakfast and shot outside to saddle her wolf. Duchess almost seemed to grin at her, tongue lolling out, while she tightened the cinch and made sure the straps around the orion's forelegs wouldn't chafe. The twins came out and looked at each other nervously as she stood surveying her job.

"I guess we should have told you earlier—" Leo started.

"But we didn't want to ruin your breakfast," his brother finished.

Marille glanced between them. "What is it?"

"The wolves need to eat sometime today."

Geo nodded. "They're not pets, you know. Sure, they'll eat dried meat and carrion, but after a while they refuse it. Last night we gave them some scraps, but when we checked on them this morning nothing was touched. Been cooped up too long maybe. Fresh meat always does the trick. They'll probably need a bath afterward, though. Or two, depending on—um, never mind."

She tried to keep the sudden bout of nausea from affecting her stomach too much. "Do they have to go hunting right now?"

The boys shrugged. "We can travel half the day and then let them go. Since you smell something like your father there shouldn't be any problem with them coming back to find us."

"You mean sometimes they don't come back after they go hunting?"

Leo nodded. "Remember the part about them being wild? Emil usually brings them back when that happens, so it's no big deal except for those of us who get stranded. Though I've never had that problem with Roxy," he almost gloated, stroking the fenrir's fire-like mane of blue fur.

Raine wished them luck as they left, bounding toward the sandy dunes to the east. The orion was extremely conscious of its rider, slowing to a walk anytime Marille stiffened for a minute or two. The boys would have asked about what she was seeing, but her visibly growing frustration kept them from voicing any questions.

They made good time, and didn't dismount until they had reached the border of the desert. Izoold was nearly within spitting distance, so they decided that traveling the rest of the way on foot would be good for them. According to Geo, they could take it easy and still be at the town by noon the following day. People would still be setting up for the festival, but early-comers usually got the first shot at anything good to be had.

The instant they were free of the saddles, Roxy and Duchess shook themselves and let out excited howls before loping off across the green lands. Left with no other means of transportation, the three teenagers shrugged the packs on and the boys each hefted a saddle.

"Be ready to drop everything and fight when we meet any unfriendlies," Leo warned her.

"I already know the drill."

If only it had been so easy.

A flock of axe beaks came at them shrieking angrily and Leo drew both his swords, slicing two in half with a single move. Geo pulled out his blade and swiped to keep one of the birds back. Marille had just pulled out her father's Black Sword when her body froze against her will and she didn't move even when her opponent crashed into her and began to peck mercilessly. Leo dispatched it and then stood protectively over her, killing three more, until she sat up.

"I take it you just had another flashback."

"I got beat up by an axe beak. Tell me that's not embarrassing," she muttered, taking a cloth from her pack and dabbing at the bloody cuts on her arms. "The worst part is that everything I'm getting is just in pieces."

Geo came over, still keeping an eye out for any monsters that might sneak up while they were distracted. "It's a real problem if we can't be sure you'll be able to take care of yourself. At least it doesn't happen often."

She popped an apple gel into her mouth and chewed mechanically while her cuts suddenly stopped bleeding. "I just wish I could see it all in order. I've seen the very end and a lot of random traveling, but nothing that stitches the picture together properly." She wiped the back of her hand across her face with an exasperated noise.

"Marille, you have a blood smear on your nose," Leo said. "And your forehead."

She looked down at the cut on her hand and saw it had reopened. "Nuts! Do you have any more apple gels?"

Geo pulled some from his pack and handed them over. "Since we only have a few left why don't we buy some from the trader up ahead?"

The Castagnier girl looked around as she chewed, but the rolling land kept her from seeing much in any direction. "Where?"

"Not far. Just look at those tracks we've been following. The wheels are too wide for your typical wagon, so it must be a trader who is on the road a lot and has to carry a heavy load. This is also the hottest time of day when most traders stop to let their animals rest, and the mud in these ruts is still damp. We should catch up in less than half an hour," he finished.

"Showoff," Leo growled. He could never quite reconcile his inability to track well with his brother's excellence at it. His only comfort was that he could beat Geo at sword fighting any day of the week.

Sure enough, the trader's camp came in sight shortly. Several people who lived in a nearby cluster of houses (too small to be considered a village) were shopping through the wares, and one woman in particular was attempting to haggle with the man.

"500 gald for _those?_ They're just second-hand pots."

"I'll have you know, ma'am," the trader said with an air of authority, "these are in fine condition and were once the very set used by Raine Sage. That lovely lady bestowed them on me herself less than one week ago."

The woman stood there staring at the pots, then she reached out and lifted the lid of one before the trader could stop her. "_Aha!_ I knew you were trying to cheat me! This is stained all along the inside. Burnt food, no doubt, and practically impossible to clean."

She started to turn away but the man called, "I'll drop to 150 and throw in all the utensils that went with them."

The woman paused, then smiled as she turned back and took out a bag of gald. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Guntz."

Marille snapped around and stared, concentration creasing her brow. The twins looked at each other and then at her, wondering what the matter was.

"His name…where have I heard his name…?" Suddenly an image of herself holding a mallet and threatening someone came to mind. "Hey, you!"

She rushed over to him, interrupting the exchange. The trader looked up in annoyance. "Missy, can you not see I am in the middle of a business transaction?"

"Are you the one who has been spreading lies about the Castagniers?" she demanded. "We need to talk. _Now_."

The man's eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell open with surprise. He quickly turned to his customer and shoved the pots into her arms. "My dear lady, here is your merchandise. Thank you for your time and I hope you are able to shine them to a satisfactory luster."

Guntz gestured for all three of them to come into his wagon and they did. It was crowded, but there was a small table crammed against the far wall with boxes that served as seats. The trader asked them to please sit and then he himself proceeded to walk to and fro in the tiny area available for pacing.

"I assume you are the Castagnier's only child," he began, "and though I know how this must appear to you, I have never reported anything but what I was told and I always made sure to say it was a rumor."

"Oh, wow," she replied sarcastically. "I feel so much better knowing the attack on my mother is all just a little misunderstanding because you were considerate enough to say the word 'rumor'."

Guntz swallowed hard. "I am sorry about Mrs. Castagnier. I never meant to accuse your family of being demons. The man I talked to said it was their organization's suspicion."

"Whose?"

"Mizuho's. He told me they had been investigating the Castagniers for years but were unable to pin anything down for sure."

"What are you talking about?!" one of the boys said indignantly. "Mom and Dad would never say—or even _think_—such a thing!"

"Wait, who are you two?" the man wondered.

"Our parents are Lloyd and Sheena Irving," Geo stated proudly, chin up.

The trader's face grew white and he tugged at his collar as if suddenly too hot. "I didn't lie. _He_ said that, he really did!"

"Does he have a name?"

"Never gave it, but he looked just like one of Mizuho's scouts. I thought I could trust him. It was about four weeks ago or maybe a little less, but he bought a fancy bottle of perfume I got from Altamira. After he paid for it we started exchanging news and that's when he told me."

Marille leaned forward, gazing at him intently. "Was it a clear perfume bottle with a green top?"

Guntz nodded.

She stared at the grooves of the table, trying to wrap her head around everything this meant. "The one who started the rumor is the same one who put the poison in the perfume… But why? Was he trying to throw us off-track?"

Leo looked back at Guntz. "Is there any description you can give us?"

"Well, he had a sword. He looked like any other ninja, really. Although…while he was comparing the different perfumes I had, he pulled his mask down a little. I saw his flesh on the left side of his face was paler—" Guntz traced a line along his cheekbone. "You know, like when someone gets a deep cut and the skin grows back lighter."

The boys looked at each other, their eyes slowly widening.

"The only one with a scar there on his face—"

"Why couldn't it have been anyone else?"

"You know what this means, right?"

The blonde girl jumped up and grabbed them each by an ear, dragging them close so that she could shout in their faces. "Who?!"

"_Genji!_" they shouted back as though the answer was completely obvious.

Marille's mouth fell open half an inch and she stood there, stunned. "But he's the one who's supposed to deliver the antidote..."

%*%

_The previous morning..._

Rajin's cerberus slowed to a stop beside the boat waiting at the appointed place. That breed of monster had such good stamina that they could run all day and all night before dropping. It panted heavily but didn't appear exhausted, giving a friendly whuff to the fenrir there. Genji silently took the bottle his fellow ninja held out and then led his wolf onto the flat-bottomed boat, casting off immediately.

The moment the pre-dawn darkness hid him from the eyes onshore, Genji changed direction. Only when the sun rose a few hours later did he turn towards the land, and by then he was well on his way north instead of south.

The fenrir followed him off the boat, unquestioning. It paid no attention as its rider held out the small blue bottle. With something of a sneer he dropped it to the ground and crushed it beneath his boot. As the glass snapped, the antidote for Marta's condition sank into the sand.

"There is only one place those boys will take her," he said to himself as he made sure the monster's harness was secure. Genji paused and felt along the left side of his face where the skin was abnormally smooth. "Seventeen years... This will be worth the wait."

**A/N: Ah, such a tangled web! I'm sure some of you have already figured out what exactly is going on with Genji, but the next chapter should shed a whole bucketload of light on it.**


	8. Betrayal

**Chapter 8: Betrayal**

Guntz promised that as soon as the World Reunification Day celebration was over he would return the way he came, correcting everyone he had talked to about the rumor. They hurried off since the nearest post they could use to send a message to Sheena was in Izoold.

The Irving twins were still half-stunned at the revelation that one of their own trusted members sought the deaths of the Castagniers, though Geo pointed out that he could easily be a fostered one since they didn't know of any family he had in Mizuho. Marille herself said nothing. She was too busy trying to figure out why someone who rescued her eight years earlier would then turn around and betray them.

They had to stop early for the night even though Izoold was just ahead. The boys felt it was too dangerous to travel at night, and without the wolves to protect them, they needed a defensible place to camp. The best one they could find was a spot nestled into the side of a hill.

"We'll leave as soon as it's morning. It's always possible Roxy and Duchess will be back by then." But Leo sounded doubtful. "If not, they'll probably follow us to Izoold."

His brother sifted through their packs for something to make for dinner. "We'll be getting there a day early, but the celebration is supposed to go on for almost a week. It's too bad there aren't more people going yet or else we could have grouped together. I think most are traveling by sea since it's a safer route."

Their friend continued her silent contemplation, poking a stick into the crackling flames of their cooking fire. Ever since that first memory she'd gotten the evening before, there had been a tickling sensation of something familiar that she couldn't quite place. The occasional flashes she saw were still indistinct, which was the primary reason she hadn't shared them.

Her brooding made the meal an uncomfortable affair. The twins tried to lighten the mood but it didn't work.

"I'll take first watch," Geo volunteered after a few minutes of silence once dinner was over. "You two hit the sack and I'll wake Marille around midnight."

She pulled out the traveling blanket and laid down, but sleep was as far as from her as the closest star overhead. Twice in the next hour Geo stood and brandished his sword, frightening off curious monsters. This area had few that weren't nervous around fire, and seeing an armed human made them eager to be about their own business. Marille had to admit that traveling with the boys was a lot easier than perching in a tree all night, half-asleep.

But at this rate she still wouldn't get any rest. A disappointed grunt attracted Geo's attention and he turned to look at her.

"Why am I not surprised? If you're going to be awake anyway, why don't you just come over and talk?"

Keeping the blanket tightly wrapped around herself, the blonde girl went over to sit beside him and watched as he placed more logs on the glowing coals. He finally leaned back, resting the blade of his sword softly against his shoulder and casting her an expectant look.

"So. Ready to face the beast?"

"I've _been_ ready, but I just don't seem able to see anything clearly. It's so familiar...all of it! But it's like the key is missing. Nothing makes any sense all chopped up and far away. Why can't I see it the way I could with the first memory?"

"Stop trying so hard," the dark-haired boy advised. "Chances are you're just making things worse. You've always been that way, you know, and now it's working against you."

Confusion crinkled her face. "I've always been what way?"

"Can I say you're stubborn without insulting you?" he asked with a cocky grin. "You get it into your head that such-and-such is the only thing to do and you don't consider any other way."

Marille straightened her back. "This from a kid who refused to learn to hold a sword in his left hand."

He stiffened at the jab. "Not _all_ of us can be ambidextrous. And I didn't refuse."

"Yeah, that's right..." She snapped her fingers. "You knocked yourself out with the training sword and whined so much that your father decided not to pressure you into trying again."

"I never whined."

"You mean_ 'Daddy, Daddy! Don't make me do it anymore!'_ doesn't sound like whining to you?" the girl mimicked in a high-pitched voice.

"I didn't say that."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"Did."

The silliness of the argument got to them and they could hardly contain the snorts, but they managed to keep it down. The last thing they wanted to do was wake Leo since he had the hardest shift of the night. Wiping the trace of a laughter-tear from his eye, Geo smirked at Marille.

"It's not as if you were a princess yourself. You were the gawkiest goose in the gaggle back then! Your mom had your hair done up in dinky braids that looked like yellow twigs and you were always tripping over your feet so that all your skirts were torn at the bottom. And that dumb toy you had all the time! Whenever we came visiting, me and Leo would find some creative place to hide it and you'd get so mad—"

He stopped short as Marille seized his arm, eyes wide but not seeing him.

"The toy—it all started with that toy!" she gasped.

%*%

_Marille played with her stuffed Tenebie at the edge of the forest. Lake Sinoa was nearby but all the monsters in the area were friendly. She was halfway through building a little temple for it out of sticks and stones when she heard a noise close by. Curious, she ran over to investigate, hoping it would be one of her father's monsters. _

_The moment she approached the bushes, however, large hands shot out and grabbed her! She dropped Tenebie and tried to scream, but the man had anticipated that and covered her mouth. He took off running deeper into the woods, carrying her beneath his arm. _

_She struggled so much that they didn't get far. He set her down and put his face to close to hers that she could hardly breathe, then he hissed, "**Knock it off!**"_

_That's all it took to set her screaming wildly and trying to get away again. This he hadn't expected, so he hurriedly gagged her but not soon enough. Someone heard and called out in alarm. A couple other voices joined the first and the man fled._

_A few minutes later a sphinx came charging at them. Marille cried out, "Luster!" but the man threw her forward into its path and the monster had to rear back to avoid trampling her. While it was off-balance, the stranger attacked with a furious barrage of powerful sword artes that brought it down, not even giving it a chance to defend itself. Before Marille could do more than say its name sadly and reach out to smooth the bloodied fur of its paw, she was yanked roughly to her feet._

_Marille and her captor went straight west toward the mountains, but then backtracked and jumped in a small river to water down their scent and traveled upstream. __Every time a large bird swung low overhead, her kidnapper ducked under cover and kept a tight grip on her. Any sounds of ground pursuit were far away and grew more distant as the day wore on._

_Yet despite this terrifying misadventure, Marille was confident. She knew her father and his monsters would find her soon. Every minute she kept expecting one of them to burst out of the thick underbrush and rescue her…but by evening she was both disheartened and limp with fatigue._

_Darkness kept them from continuing. He carried her up into a tree and tied her securely to a wide limb. As the near-full moon rose she finally got a good look at him. He looked like a Mizuho scout carrying a thin blade in a sheath on his back, the way he moved being deliberate and fluid. He was tall and dark blonde, but the stern look on his face made her freeze every time he glanced her way. For some reason she had the impression that long ago his face might have been very kind-looking, but the wide scar along his neck that stretched up across his left cheek gave him a terrible appearance to a seven-year-old girl._

"_What do you want?" she squeaked out._

"_You wouldn't understand," was the only answer he gave, and he refused to say another word._

_He fed her cold rations and she managed to choke them down simply because his gray eyes were fixed on her. The more he stared, the more she felt he was planning to hurt her._

_Something strange started to happen the following day. While he dragged her along, backtracking every now and then to head a different direction—sometimes toward the mountains, sometimes away—she started to feel almost faint, but not in body. Occasionally her eyes would swim, everything went blurry, and she would blank out only to discover that she'd been walking mechanically for a long time._

_It grew even stranger the next day when her eyes blurred, because sometimes things started glimmering slightly, especially trees and the man and her own skin. The faintness started to fade a little by the fourth day, but the random incidents grew more frequent and she began to **feel** nearby creatures with a sixth sense in an indescribable way. There was something insubstantial pulling at her insides but she couldn't tug back._

_By the fifth day, at least once an hour every living thing in sight transformed into millions of dancing sparkles. There were less in the air, water and earth, but there were still plenty of them. It was so disorienting that she kept stumbling._

_During all this time, the monsters flying above appeared to be heading farther and farther away, and there hadn't been the sounds of land-bound monsters tracking them since the third day. Marille got the feeling they had been traveling in circles not far from Luin, but she had no idea why._

_As they made their way across another stream (or maybe the same one?), the world once again dissolved into a flurry of tiny lights and, unable to see where she was going, Marille tripped into the water. It was so sudden that the man lost his grip on her arm. That would have been nice except that she couldn't see enough to try an escape, and all she was able to do was flounder to keep her head above the water._

_Her sight returned a little and the girl managed to regain her sense of direction enough to reach shallower water. But the moment she dragged herself out, she found the Mizuho ninja standing there. _

"_I'll teach you to run away!" _

_His face was so angry that she was afraid he would kill her. In that moment she suddenly felt the nearness of several monsters and screamed, "Help me!"_

_A bear around a bend in the stream had come down for a drink, but the moment it heard her voice it lunged toward them. Nearby, a family of young chimeras darted through the bushes with a cacophony of yowls. __The bear roared at her kidnapper and swiped with one huge paw. There was the scrape of metal and a glint of steel, then the beast lay dead at their feet. But before he was prepared, four little chimeras leaped directly at him, their wings fluttering madly as they attacked._

_Marille threw out her hand and tried to warn the creatures, but no sound passed her lips. Even so, almost in response to her voiceless cry they scattered and reformed to attack. Yet it was no match for the Demonic Circle that enveloped them with a ferocious energy and left none standing._

_At the sight of their mangled bodies, the girl hid her face, but her captor would have none of it. He cruelly pulled her along by her wrist, though before they had gone far, a harpy came flying down toward them shrieking. Almost at the same time, a pair of black wolves leaped out of the brush and bared their fangs._

_The man threw her on the ground and handled his sword expertly. Within a minute the three monsters were dead and all he had to show for it was a nick on his shoulder where the harpy grazed him with its claws. _

_He stopped, studying Marille critically with his storm-gray eyes. "Those weak little things are not the ones **he** tamed. Something else is stirring them up…"_

_Without warning he gripped her chin, the hand glowing as he used some kind of spell. A cold shudder crept down her spine and she tried to cry out, but her voice hadn't returned. An instant later the ninja let go with a snort of disgust._

"_Blank!" His eyes narrowed into slits as he came to a realization. "As obscure as **his** mind. So that's what it is…a demon daughter. I thought you were human like your mother, but now I see you are only that **creature's** spawn with a human form."_

_He stood, looking at the sun which was beginning to touch the horizon. Coming to a decision, the blonde man waded into the water until he was soaked then came back, dragging her a short distance. Using a tree as an anchor, he tied her to its trunk and drew his sword. _

_Sure this was the end, Marille's eyes welled up with terrified tears. But then he held the weapon up to his own shoulder, making a quick movement that tore the fabric and sliced into the skin. The girl stared at him as though he was insane, completely taken aback by this turn of events._

"_Maybe I can't see your mind, but it's easy enough to affect it. I need more time and your memories of this are a liability."_

_His hand glowed again as he touched her face. She felt something intangible settling over her mind as the memories faded along with the last vestiges of sunset._

%*%

The Castagnier girl blinked in confusion. She was lying on the ground wrapped in her blanket and overhead the first golden fingers of dawn were reaching into the sky.

"So that's why it all felt so familiar," she whispered to herself as she sat up.

"Hey, you're finally awake!" Leo cried from his spot near the smoldering embers of the fire. "Bro, she's up!"

The boys rushed over to her, Geo appearing relieved. "You really scared me. Your eyes glazed over and I couldn't get out of your grip for ten minutes. Then suddenly you collapsed and wouldn't wake up no matter what I did."

Marille looked at them, her expression troubled. "It was Genji all along. He's the one behind everything. Not just the rumor and the attack on Mom... He's the one who kidnapped me eight years ago. We've _got_ to send a message to your mother right away."

**Marille has gained the title Recovered Amnesiac**  
**I remember everything now! Wait...where are my keys?**

**A/N: It was obvious Genji did it from the moment Marille saw his uniform, wasn't it? His ability is called the "Munin arte" which I named after one of Odin's pet ravens and means Memory. I figured it fits the game to keep up with the Nordic themes.**


End file.
